Apple’s cellular, Bluetooth and WiFi chip not before 2024. Apple is working on its own “homemade” chip that will offer 5G cellular, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. This was reported by Bloomberg explaining that the chip in question will replace not only Qualcomm’s modem-chips but also Broadcom’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips.
For Mark Gurman a 15″ MacBook Air is probable but not a 12″ one
Apple intends to exploit its chip in the iPhone as soon as possible, probably as early as 2024. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman points out that Apple has been working on this chip for years, and that one of the goals is to reduce dependence on Qualcomm.
Apple had initially planned to integrate its chip into new devices as early as 2023 (with the new generation iPhone SE, a device that – at least for the moment – would be shelved) but according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in the immediate future Apple will continue to rely on Qualcomm for now.
In addition to Qualcomm, the choice to use the self-developed chip will affect Broadcom; Apple is the most important customer of the latter multinational active in the semiconductor sector, and about 20% of the revenues of the last fiscal year (about 7 billion dollars) came from Cupertino. Even for Qualcomm, the revenues that come from Apple are important, and 22% of annual revenues come from Apple and represent about 10 billion dollars (Qualcomm is aware of this and has known for years that its bond with Apple is destined to weaken).
Broadcom supplies Apple with various components, including radio frequency and wireless charging management chips. Broadcom CEO Hock Tan said in an investor meeting last month that he was confident the company’s relationship with Apple would continue. “We believe we have the best technologies and are able to deliver value to our customers,” said Hock Tan; “there is no reason to look elsewhere, where you are not the best”.
In 2020, Apple signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Broadcom to supply wireless modules and components, a deal that expires this year.
Qualcomm has not made a statement, but in November last year the company said it would supply the majority of modem chips for 2023 iPhones, up from a previous 20% assumption.
Apple, we recall, in 2019 bought the Intel division that dealt with the development of chip-modems, and for years it has been dealing with the development of this module.
